A Letter to the Minister about Animal Mistreating

There have been recent reports of cats and dogs being mistreated. You are writing to the relevant minister, drawing his/her attention to the issue and offering your suggestions on how to address the issue. The letter should consist of three paragraphs. The first paragraph should set out the purpose of the letter. The second one should give the details of the issue. The third one should set out your suggestions on how to address the issue. The letter should be at least 250 words long.

 

Dear Minister,

 

       I write to express my concern about report reports of cats and dogs being mistreated and put forward some suggestions on how to address the issue.

 

       In recent weeks, there has been wide coverage on the plight of pets. Just last week, the public came to know the rescue of an abandoned dog which had been starved for nearly a week. The dog weighed less than half his normal body weight and had to be rushed to a vet for urgent treatment. In another incident, a boy was caught shooting at stray cats with an airgun. He had the audacity to justify his action by blaming the cats for causing nuisance in the first place.

 

       It is important that your ministry take the lead in addressing this issue. First, public education is essential. Pet owners should be taught to be responsible for the well-being of their pets. Pets are not toys; they deserve care and love from their owners, whose commitment should be lifelong and start from the moment of purchase. Under no circumstances should pets be neglected or even abandoned as they will no doubt be in distress. Your ministry can organize publicity campaigns to publicize the importance of being responsible pet owners. Second, enforcement action should be stepped up against those who mistreat pets or stray animals. To make it easier for the public to report such cases, your ministry should set up a hotline. Any cases reported should be followed up expeditiously. The levels of penalties for such offences should also be raised to underscore the fact that such mistreatment is not tolerated in our society. Third, stray animals are a public health nuisance. Whilst I do not support any action to kill them, a more responsible approach is for your ministry to put in place a program to neuter them so that their population will decrease over time. It is also important to impress upon pet owners not to abandon their pets. I am sure that with our concerted efforts to be led by your ministry, the issue will go away.

 

Yours faithfully,

Chris Wong